Improvement in braiding-machines



H. FLETCHER BRAIDING MACHINE.

Patented July '7, 1863.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY FLETCHER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRAIDING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters'Patent No. 39, 131, dated July 7, 1863.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,.HENRY FLETCHER, a resident of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Braiding- Machine; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical and longitudinal section of a braiding-machine provided with my invention, the'naturo of which consists in the combination of a switch-cam on the racer, with one or more pins, or the equivalent therefor, carried on the raceplate, the same being arranged in manner and for the purpose as hereinafter specified.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the guide-cap usually required over each of the gears, and within the race-circle thereof, and thus avoid the liability of such cap to turn out of place, and thereby affect the proper movementsof the racers.

My invention renders the braiding-machine more certain in its operation than when made with guide-caps, and enables it to be operated with less power and friction.

In the drawings, A denotes the race-plate,

4 provided with a series of circular openings, a-

b 0 d, which are so arranged that two, a I), open into each other and into the others, 0 d, by openings e e e, as shown in Fig. 1. Below these openings there is a train of gears, f f ff, there being one of such gears to each opening. A recessed cap or racer driver, g, is fastened on the upper surface of each gear and revolves with it.

Fig. 4 exhibits the driverin under side view,

with its recesses h h h h for reception of the foot 5 of the racer B. The said racer rests on the. gear, and is kept in an upright position by means of a recess, h, and that part of the bare of die racer which projects into such recess. This mode of supporting the racerviz., directly on the gear instead of on the upper surface of the race-plate--though shown in the drawings and above described, I do not claim- "pins D D D, so arranged and projecting above the top face of the said race-plate that during the movements of the racer around in each of theopenings e e e of the race-plate the cam or wing C, by contact withand movement against oneof these pins, shall be caused to turn the racer aside more or less, and direct it from the opening in which it may be moving into the next one of such openings.

I claim- The combination of the switchca-m C of the racer with one or more pins, D D, or the equivalent thereof, raised on the race-plate, the same being arranged so as to operate substantially in manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore specified.

' nErinY FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY,

F. P. HALE, Jr. 

